


Mr. & Mr. Hargreeves-Katz Tie the Knot

by Katherine_Wilde



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Apocalypse Prevented, Ben Hargreeves is Alive, Dave (Umbrella Academy) is Alive, Fluff, M/M, Romantic Fluff, no beta we die like ben
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 00:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19366732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine_Wilde/pseuds/Katherine_Wilde
Summary: Not sure if somebody has already written this, but Klaus and Dave deserve an incredible wedding day. So I decided to give it to them.





	Mr. & Mr. Hargreeves-Katz Tie the Knot

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfic I've ever posted, so I would both love some feedback and also ask you to be gentle! I'm really excited to engage more with the community of people in love with these adorable idiots. 
> 
> Basically, this is an AU where everything is easier--Ben alive, Dave alive, apocalypse averted--but the siblings are still wrestling with being their own asshole selves. Because that's who they are and we love them the way they are.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Thank you so much for reading!

The big day had finally come. 

 

Well, "big" might not have been the right word. It a small affair. Beyond. A non-affair, really. Big, extravagant parties weren't exactly part of the 12 steps, and the last thing Klaus wanted from his wedding day was to be triggered into a relapse. Besides, Klaus was broke, and until recently, homeless. Dave had been carried to the present with nothing more than the clothes--the bloody, ripped up army fatigues--on his back. Suffice to say that the budget was next to nil. And for that matter, who would they invite? Most of Klaus' friends had overdosed, died in the war, or were currently in prison or rehab. And Dave's friends, well--they had gone the way of his clothes and possessions. 

 

So it was a family affair. They still wanted it to be special, so they scheduled a day to go to the courthouse, planned it out and everything. It may have been low-budget, but that would not be the same as low-effort, at least if Klaus had anything to say about it. If anyone could make something out of nothing, it was Klaus. It was one of the things Dave loved about him. The man could make a boa out of dust bunnies.

 

In honor of the special-ness of the occasion, it was decided that they should spend the night before apart. It was a mutual decision, but that didn’t stop Klaus from getting cold feet and making a scene about it, as Klaus was wont to do. 

 

"It's a stupid tradition. I thought we were fundamentally in opposition to stupid traditions!" Klaus pouted, arms snaked around Dave's waist as they prepared to part ways. "As a couple, you know. And if you're not committed to that, then I just, I don't know what we're doing here. Are you not the man I thought I was marrying?" 

 

Klaus flashed those gorgeous green eyes at him, big and full and looking upward at him somehow, even though they were about the same height. Dave had to fight through a smile to answer. 

 

"Baby, it's just one night.”

 

“I know. It’s just that… I haven’t spent a night apart from you since we went back and got you,” Klaus’ face was tipped down, unable to look his lover in the eye. “Sometimes it’s just hard to believe it’s real, that you’re really here and alive.” 

 

“Well,” Dave put his finger under Klaus’ chin, gently coaxing the man to look at him, “I’m here, baby. To stay. And as of tomorrow, I’m going to be here with you for all of time. The rest of our lives. Til death do us part. And this time, I’m not going down in a combat zone.” 

 

Klaus smiled at that. Dave knew he would. 

 

“And you know,” Dave continued, “if we’re together all of tomorrow, you can't surprise me with what you wear. And I know how much you love a dramatic entry."

 

Klaus cocked his head, thinking. 

 

"Hm, that is true. And I did put an awful lot of work into my look for it to all go to waste at the last second." 

 

Dave leaned in close then, voice going low and soft in Klaus’ ear.

 

"And hey, it'll just be that much sweeter when I make love to you tomorrow night."

 

Klaus blushed in spite of himself. He'd fucked more men than he could remember, but there was something about the way Dave "made love"--part and parcel of being from the sixties, he knew--that felt totally different, totally new, and dizzyingly sweet. Dave tilted their faces toward each other and kissed him, and Klaus leaned his forehead against his lover's one more time. 

 

"God, I love you."

 

"I'll see you tomorrow, sunshine."

 

And with that they reluctantly parted for separate sides of the mansion. After all, in a building that took up an entire square block and which contained forty-two bedrooms, it wasn't really necessary to get a hotel. The plan was for each of them to have their own bachelor's night, though Klaus' would really be more of a bachelorette party. While Klaus was painting nails and eating snacks with Allison, Vanya, and Grace, Dave was getting to know his future brothers-in-law better, and they were getting to know him.

 

***

 

“So,” Luther said, sitting backwards, bad cop-style, in a chair two sizes too small for him, “do you do drugs?”

 

“What?” Dave asked. He’d been living with the Hargreeves for a couple of weeks now, and he had sort of taken for granted that he’d earned their trust. At least, he’d never been given the inquisition he was apparently getting now. 

 

“Do you do drugs? It’s a simple question.”

 

“Luther,” Ben admonished from the corner. Since coming back to life, he couldn’t get used to being visible again, and so he usually hung around on the periphery.

 

“What? I’m sorry, but there are things we need to know about who Klaus is bringing under our roof. And the team can’t risk another relapse anyway.” 

 

“Uh-huh, this is totally about the team,” Diego said, pouring out whiskeys for them all from behind the bar.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Luther fired back.

 

“No,” Dave cut in, “I don’t do drugs.”

 

“Guys, I was there with Klaus in Vietnam. I can vouch for Dave.” Ben’s remark was ignored.

 

“Why should we believe you?” said Five. “Klaus doesn’t exactly have the greatest track record when it comes to acquaintances. Even I know that, and I disappeared when we were thirteen.”

 

“I know that,” Dave said. “And believe me, I’m just as…  _ aware _ of Klaus’ past as you are. Of all the things he’s done. Of all the people who have hurt him. I’m not really a fighter, but if I got my hands on some of the people…” Dave took a deep breath, unclenched his fists, sighed. “Look, I didn’t do drugs before, but I’m definitely not now. And I’ve pretty much stopped drinking, too. I want to be totally here for Klaus on the path to recovery.”

 

“You know he’ll probably relapse, right?” Diego said. “At some point.”

 

“I know. And I’m okay with that. We’ll get through it. He’s worth it.”

 

Luther, Five, and Diego all narrowed their eyes, suspicious. 

 

“Why do you like Klaus?” Luther asked.

 

“Nobody likes Klaus,” Five said.

 

“I like Klaus,” Ben said.

 

“I sort of like Klaus,” Diego piped up.

 

“Well, I love Klaus,” Dave stood up, suddenly angry. “He saved my life, in more ways than one. I was supposed to die in Vietnam, and he decided that I was worth saving. When the thing is, I wouldn’t be that guy who was worth saving if it wasn’t for Klaus in the first place. So I know you guys might not see anything worthwhile in Klaus, but just try to imagine that I would, okay?”

 

There was a silence. And then all the guys were talking over one another.

 

“Well, why didn’t you just say so?” said Luther.

 

“I know I could use a drink,” Five said.

 

“You said you  _ pretty much  _ stopped drinking?” Diego asked.

 

“I guess I could knock one back,” Dave said as the whiskeys were passed around and raised.

 

“To Dave and Klaus,” Diego toasted.

 

“To Dave and Klaus.”

  
  


***

 

And with that, the morning broke on the big day. 

 

In a move that shocked his siblings, Klaus was up before anyone else. Of course, they shouldn't have been surprised; if there was one thing that energized him, it was Dave. And so he was up with the sun, ringing his bell through the halls on his side of the mansion. In spite of the size of the wedding, Klaus had made it clear that everyone was still expected to look their best. Black tie attire  _ required. _ Besides, between all the missions and the post-apocalypse stress, he figured the family could use a day of pampering anyway.

 

A hungover Diego poked his head out of his room, groggily glaring at Klaus. 

 

"Do you know how early it is?" 

 

"I thought you said your body was a temple, dear sweet brother."

 

"Yeah, well. You try to keep up with Luther when he's drinking."

 

Of course their pissing contest could never go on hold for a night, Klaus sighed. Even as Diego tried to go tit-for-tat on drinks with a man who had at least fifty, maybe a hundred pounds and a foot of height on him. He just hoped Dave didn't try to do the same.

 

"Unfortunately, if you recall, I could drink even Luther under the table, which is why I'm not allowed to do that anymore."

 

"Oh. Yeah," Diego said, disappearing back into his room and shutting the door. 

 

"You better be ready in an hour or not even your knives will be able to save you! I will bridezilla your ass so hard!" Klaus called after him, but he was smiling. Not even his brothers could get him down today. 

 

Soon enough he was sitting, legs crossed in his chair, in front of the mirror. Allison stood behind him, while Grace smiled placidly from the corner and Vanya looked on excitedly, if a little bit nervously as well. Since his getting sober, Allison had found Klaus a bit more palatable, and the two were getting closer all the time. She still yelled at him when he showed up to breakfast in her clothes, but mostly in good humor. She’d actually returned the favor once or twice, and they’d even started going shopping together. So they spent that morning sipping virgin mimosas and massaging face masks, oils, and moisturizers into each other's faces, teaching Vanya about skincare, wiping off Grace’s face when her artificial skin wouldn’t absorb the moisturizers. Klaus loved the feeling of someone's fingers gently pressing into his skin, caring without being expectant. Kind without being sexual. It was so different from the way he’d been touched most of his life. As he melted under her fingers, Allison felt a pang of guilt for having written him off for so many years.

 

“How’s my eyeliner? Even on both sides?” Klaus was asking when there was a knock on the door. Allison got up and let in the best man.

 

“Oh, Ben,” Klaus leaped up, clamping his hands over his mouth. 

 

“What do you think?” Ben held his hands out, turned in his dark gray suit. After a decade of wearing all-black, Klaus and Ben had agreed that something lighter was in order, and it suited him. Besides, black was reserved for the grooms. Even Diego had agreed to eschew his usual color for the occasion. 

 

“Do you like it?” Ben said nervously. After years of only being seen by Klaus, he still wasn’t used to people looking at him. “I can change if you don’t like it.”

 

“Mm-mm,” was all Klaus could manage, and he pulled Ben into a hug. He still loved the feeling of being able to touch his brother, crush him with his bony embrace, mess up his perfect coif, feel the warmth rolling off his skin. Allison and Vanya let out  _ aww _ s and Klaus pulled away, beaming at the only person who had ever cared for him with any consistency. 

 

“Isn’t the bride supposed to look the best on the wedding day? Hm?” Klaus laughed, fanning at his teary eyes. “Well, alright then. Time to get dressed.”

 

***

 

When they finally pulled up in front of the courthouse, Klaus and Dave were both holding their breath, though neither one realized it. Dave stood, the guys milling about in their suits around him, chest feeling like it was on the verge of bursting. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. To be in this decade, in this place, with a man as beautiful and fragile and loving as Klaus was, on his way to him. He was asking Diego to check his tie for the fortieth time that day when he spotted the car pulling around, Allison at the wheel, and his breath caught in his throat.

 

When Klaus got out, Dave's face split into a smile. Clad in a bright pink suit jacket with black pants and shirt undone to about halfway down, Klaus looked every bit the dramatic, expressive man he knew, but cleaner, healthier, and if possible, more beautiful. 

 

"Dave!"

 

Klaus rocketed into Dave's arms, lips crashing into lips, man crashing into man. Dave held Klaus' head in his hands as they kissed, smiling when they parted lips, leaning foreheads together. All this time, and he could hardly stand to have his hands off the man. 

 

"Hey baby," Dave said softly.

 

"Hi," Klaus answered, laughing shakily.

 

"You ready to get married?" 

 

Klaus simply nodded, and they took hands, entering the courthouse together as the rest of the family followed. 

 

Klaus couldn't believe how incredible Dave looked. Of course, Dave looked good in anything--young, strong, with a face that was at once sculpted and soft, he didn't have many obstacles as far as looks. But today, in his black and white tailored tux, with his gorgeous features in a nervous grin of excitement, he looked like a man who couldn't wait to be married to Klaus. Almost nobody had ever wanted to even be  _ associated _ with Klaus, and now this man--the best man he’d ever known--wanted to be his  _ husband _ . How did he get so lucky? 

 

The ceremony was officiated by a judge who looked shocked to see so formal and large a party arriving at the courthouse. Really, the important stuff was the paperwork and the witnesses; the biggest hassle was waiting to see if the judge would accept the fake ID they’d had made for Dave.

 

“Is it time for the vows?” Klaus asked once the paperwork was signed.

 

“Uh, you don’t really get vows in this kind of thing,” the judge said. 

 

“Hush,” Klaus pressed his fingers to the man’s mouth, then unfolded a piece of paper from his jacket pocket. “So I wrote the first draft of these high, at base camp in Vietnam, two weeks after our first kiss. But shockingly, I wasn’t a very good soldier--”

 

“You were fine,” Dave cut in, smiling.

 

“Darling, you only think that because you only saw me when I was trying to impress you. And anyway, long story short, vodka and the jungle don’t mix, all my shit got washed down the river, so those were lost to the sands of time. But it didn’t matter. I thought I’d have plenty more time to write themn. But by the time I came back to the future, all I had left of you were some dog tags and a couple of tattoos.” 

 

Klaus was starting to get choked up, but he soldiered on.

 

“I know what it’s like to be without you. To lose you. And I don’t ever want to do it again. You were the only thing in my life ever worth getting sober for. The only thing worth actually trying to have a life for. I mean, for Christ’s sake, the apocalypse came and my only concern was you!”

 

“Which was not appreciated at the time,” Five said flatly, making Allison and Vanya giggle.

 

“Exactly. I can’t be my best self--or any good form of myself, really--when you’re not around. So. Be my husband, yeah?” 

 

Dave laughed through the lump in his throat. 

 

“Yeah, okay.” He pulled out his own sheet of paper. “I’m usually not a man of many words. I prefer to leave the dramatics to Klaus here, so I’ll be quick. Time and space have been moved to make this,  _ us,  _ possible. I’m just a soldier from a small town who was trying to do his duty to his country, and for some reason, you, this incredible, hurricane of a man thought I was worthy of so much more. Nobody has ever been willing to go so far for me or do so much, and every day I--”

 

They were both crying now. Klaus squeezed Dave’s palm with one hand and dabbed at his running eyeliner with the other. 

 

“I’ll try to be worth it.”

 

“Oh, baby, you’ve always been worth it.” Klaus turned to the officiant. “Can I kiss my husband now?” Klaus asked the officiant.

 

“You may.” 

 

***

 

They danced together on the hardwood floor of the living room, just as they had all that time ago in Vietnam. The suit jackets came off, naturally, and Phil Phillips’ “Sea of Love” started up for the first dance. Klaus threw his arms around Dave’s neck while Dave’s large hands rested on Klaus’ waist. Dave had loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top couple buttons. God, had Dave always been this sexy? Klaus wondered. I man, of course he had, but shit, when he was your  _ husband,  _ it was a whole other thing entirely, wasn’t it? Klaus leaned in and kissed Dave, pulling his bottom lip in for just a moment of suction, hands threading into the hair at the base of his skull. When he pulled back Dave was blushing; he was still a mild-mannered boy from the sixties, after all. 

 

“Too much, husband?” Klaus asked. 

 

“Did I say stop?” Dave responded. “Husband?” 

 

Klaus hoped it would never stop being that nice to hear.

 

Luther had been put in charge of the music, and soon Pulp’s “Disco 2000” was echoing through the spacious living room. Grace and Diego were both looking equally robotic as they tried to loosen each other up, while Allison and Luther danced together surprisingly well. Five was sitting with Delores, eating cake and looking only slightly disapprovingly at his siblings. Vanya swayed uncertainly on the periphery, ever wary of being included, but happy all the same; Ben was perched on the couch as usual, smiling at the scene. 

 

“Oh no,” Klaus said, spotting him. “This is your first party as a real, live boy and you are not going to sit through it! In case you forgot, you’re not dead anymore!” 

 

Ben rolled his eyes, but allowed Klaus to pull him up from the couch. Ben was never much of a dancer, but with Klaus it was easy. You just let him take your hands and he did all the work for you. It was the same balance that had always made their relationship work. They laughed and danced, and after a few songs, Klaus got a faraway look in his eyes.

 

“What is it?”

 

“You always said that you couldn’t stand seeing me throw away the life you never got to have,” Klaus had to shout a little over the music. “Maybe you and I are like a packaged deal. Maybe now we can both have all of those things.” 

 

“Like, now that I’m alive, you can live your life again?” 

 

“Maybe,” Klaus shrugged. “Or maybe we should just shut up and enjoy the night,” he said, as his hand was grabbed by Dave and he was spun away. Ben smiled. He may be able to talk to other people now, and Klaus might have Dave, but it was nice knowing that they were still a packaged deal.

 

The family danced nearly all night, numbers falling as Diego took Grace to recharge, Luther and Allison snuck off to be alone, and the rest got sleepy. Or maybe they were just tired of watching Dave and Klaus be utterly in love. Klaus, ever modest, ended the evening by dragging Dave up the stairs and shouting down to the remaining group, “Thank you all for coming, we’re going to go fuck now.” 

 

Before this, of course, they danced to one last song-- “I Think We’re Alone Now”, a song Klaus had specifically requested because he knew they all loved it--and because it was nice to know that they weren’t all dancing alone anymore. 


End file.
